Dog Days
by BroomballKraken
Summary: Maya travels to Duscur to visit her brother and his husband, and she is shocked to find that their family has grown since she last saw them...but not in a way that she would have expected. Written for Dedue Week Day 7, Prompt: Future


"Wow! Is this really where Raph lives now?"

Maya's jaw dropped as she glanced back down at her map, double checking that she was in the right place. Her travels through the Kingdom and Duscur had been largely uneventful, but gave her many opportunities to paint some rather beautiful landscapes. Duscur especially, since it was an entirely different country, built anew after being razed during the Tragedy. Her brother and his husband, Dedue, were the ones who led the rebuilding effort, and Maya's heart swelled with pride at the fact.

Looking up from the map, she adjusted the weight of the pack on her back and started down the road, her destination the house that sat in the middle of a vast valley, overflowing with blooming flowers of all kinds of different colors. It was summertime in Duscur, but the climate here was a bit colder than Fódlan, so Maya was wearing a light jacket to chase away the slight chill in the air.

As she approached the house, two major things caught her eye: the huge garden on one side of the front yard with a greenhouse on the other, and an enormous barn that was visible from behind the house. Did her brother and Dedue start raising horses or something?

Maya was just about to knock on the door, when a loud barking noise hit her ears. She turned towards it, but was suddenly knocked off of her feet when something large barreled into her, and she fell to her back with an 'oof!' Fear welled up in her for a moment, but dissipated immediately when a wet tongue raked across her face, and she started laughing as she pushed herself upright.

It was a dog that had tackled her, and a _huge_ one at that. His pink tongue hung out of his white jowls, which dripped with drool. His head was covered with dark brown fur, that turned white at his neck and legs, before finally turning light brown over his back. His long fluffy tail was wagging so hard that she thought it would fly off at any moment. Maya giggled and reached up to pet the dogs head, and he barked happily.

"Beefsteak! What're you barking at-Maya?!"

Maya looked up as the front door opened, a beaming smile crossing her face when Raphael stepped outside, his eyes wide with surprise when he saw her. He looked the same as he always had, with his massive muscles trying to break out of his shirt and blindingly bright smile on his face. The only thing different about him that she noticed was the blond beard that now covered his face.

"Hey Raph! Long time no see!" Maya said. She tried to push herself to her knees, but Beefsteak started licking her face again, forcing her to fall back onto her elbows.

"C'mon, Beef! That's enough, you big lug!" Raphael said, reaching down to gather Beefsteak into his arms with ease, as if the large dog was as light as a feather. Beefsteak whined and wiggled around, choosing to assault Raphael's face with slobbery kisses instead.

"I didn't know you had a dog!" Maya said as she stood up, wiping her face.

"Sure do! This here is Beefsteak!" Raphael said, laughing as he rubbed his bearded face against Beefsteak's head, who barked and finally managed to wiggle out of Raphael's arms. He tried to lunge at Maya again, but Raphael caught him around the middle mid-jump, so Beefsteak could only whine and wiggle his paws in her direction.

"He's huge! I've never seen a dog like him before." Maya said, moving to stand next to her brother to get a better look at Beefsteak.

"He's a Saint Bernard! They're known for being huge, but my Beefsteak here is just a big 'ol softy, right Beefy?" Raphael cooed, and Maya giggled when Beefsteak barked and licked Raphael's face again. He then finally seemed to calm down a bit as he sat down on his haunches, looking back and forth between the siblings as they finally had a chance to hug.

"So he's just like you, eh bro?" Maya said as Raphael lifted her into the air with his massive, strong arms.

"Ha! I guess so. They do say that dogs and their owners start to look and act alike after a while."

"I'll say. You've certainly gotten hairier." Maya reached up and pinched a bit of Raphael's beard between her fingers. "Why's your beard so scruffy? Hasn't Dedue taught you how to properly groom it yet?"

"C'mon sis! That's harsh!"

"Ah, hello Maya."

Maya and Raphael turned to the door to find Dedue standing in the entryway, a small smile on his face. He also hadn't changed much, except that he also had a full beard, although his was much more well-kept than her brother's. Dedue seemed to be in the middle of cooking, for he had an apron draped over his front, and the smell wafting out of the house behind him had Maya drooling almost as much as Beefsteak.

"Darling, bring your sister inside. You will both catch a cold standing out here, and dinner is almost ready." Dedue said, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at his husband, who blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Eh, sorry hun, I got excited." Raphael said, grabbing Maya's travel pack from her. Maya thanked him and headed inside, with Beefsteak padding along beside her. She gazed around the room, and a small smile crossed her face. It was a modest size, with a fireplace on one side and a large couch on the other. Two large dog beds sat in one corner, and the kitchen was a good size, big enough for someone as bulky as Dedue to maneuver around comfortably.

"Make yourself comfortable!" Raphael said as Dedue quickly gave Maya a hug before returning to the kitchen. Maya sat down on the couch, and was immediately joined by Beefsteak, who assaulted her face with more slobbery kisses before he lay down, his head resting on her lap. She laughed and ran her hands through his soft fur.

"Did you have a good trip, Maya?" Dedue asked as he flipped some steaks over in a pan on the stove. "You arrived much sooner than we expected."

"Oh, yeah!" Maya said as Raphael sat on the couch on the other side of Beefsteak. "I managed to hitch a ride with a couple riding in the same direction once I hit the Duscur border. Real funny pair. One of 'em kept on falling asleep while he was talking to me, and the other tried picking fights with any knights that we passed on the road!"

"Hm, they sound familiar…" Raphael mumbled, his face scrunching up thoughtfully.

"They sound like Caspar and Linhardt." Dedue commented, not looking up from his cooking.

"Yeah! Those were their names!" Maya exclaimed, "They did say they knew you guys when I told them who I was going to visit. They said to say hello for them."

"I'm glad they're doing well. They kinda just up and vanished after the war, so I was worried about where one of my best sparring buddies ran off to." Raphael said. Maya opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by a loud scratching sound coming from the back door on the other side of the kitchen.

Dedue chuckled and abandoned his cooking for a moment to go and open the door. Maya's eyes widened as another dog trotted through the kitchen and into the living room, stopping in front of Maya and sitting down. She was just as huge as Beefsteak, but seemed to be of a different breed. Her face and ears were dark, while the rest of her fur was a light brown.

"Maya, that is Dahlia." Dedue said, looking over at the dog fondly. "She is a Mastiff. She may look intimidating, but you will not find a sweeter companion." Maya let out a delighted squeak as she reached out to scratch behind Dahlia's ears.

"Oh my gods, you are so cute!" Maya said, and she giggled when Dahlia stuck out her tongue and panted happily, her tail wagging vigorously. She heard a loud whine coming from her side, and Maya turned to see Beefsteak staring at her with sad eyes. Maya laughed and pet his head with one of her hands, while the other continued to pet Dahlia.

"Jeez, Beef! You just can't let your sis get attention without butting in, huh?" Raphael said, laughing as he rubbed Beefsteak's belly. He immediately rolled over, tail wagging and leg kicking when Raphael scratched at just the right spot.

"Dinner is ready. Raphael, will you help me for a moment?" Dedue said, and Maya, Dahlia, and Beefsteak all immediately turned their attention to him.

"Yeah!" Raphael leapt up from his spot on the couch, quickly moving to his husband's side to help him set the table.

"Need me to do anything?" Maya asked, feeling a bit awkward about just waiting around while her hosts worked.

"You can feed Beefsteak and Dahlia if you want!" Raphael called, almost hitting Dedue with a plate as he spun around to address Maya. "Oops, sorry honey!"

"It is fine. Please be more careful, darling." Dedue said, chuckling as Raphael flushed with embarrassment. "Their food is in that barrel by the door. One scoop each." Maya smiled and nodded, barely restraining herself from teasing Raphael and Dedue; her brother and brother-in-law were too cute for their own good.

"C'mon doggies! Time for dinner!" Maya said, and she had to run to the barrel, because as soon as the word 'dinner' left her mouth, both of the dogs barked excitedly and barreled along right behind her, their heavy footsteps almost making the entire house shake. Maya laughed as she quickly scooped out the food into the two bowls that sat against the nearby wall. Beefsteak dug messily into his meal, while Dahlia used a little bit more restraint while she ate.

"So where did you find those two?" Maya asked when she sat down to eat with Dedue and her brother. She took a bite of the Duscur bear steak - and it was the best thing she had ever tasted in her life - while eyeing the other end of the table where Raphael and Dedue's free hands were entwined and resting on the surface.

"While we were still working hard on the rebuilding efforts," Dedue said, sighing as he glanced over at Raphael, who was busy shoveling as much meat as he could into his mouth, "we found Beefsteak and Dahlia as puppies, sick and starving to death. We could not just leave them, so we took them in a nursed them back to health. They have not left our side ever since."

"Aw, you guys are so awesome! I'm glad you were able to save them!" Maya said, looking under the table where the two huge dogs lay, quite obviously waiting for any scraps that may fall from their plates.

"Us too!" Raphael said, swallowing a mouthful of meat and managing to dribble sauce down his chin.

"Raphael, dear," Dedue grabbed his napkin and wiped the mess from his beard, "You are making a terrible mess of yourself."

"Whoops! Sorry Dedue! Your cooking is just so good! I could eat like ten helpings of this meat!" Raphael gushed, and Maya giggled when a light blush rose high on Dedue's face. They really did seem like they were made for each other; gentle giants with the kindest hearts. As soon as Raphael had introduced Dedue to her, she had no doubt in her mind that they would be together forever.

The meal continued with casual conversation, and when they were done and cleaning up, Maya suddenly remembered something that she wanted to ask about.

"Oh, hey Raph! What's with that barn you guys have? Do you have horses?"

Raphael smiled and shook his head. "Nope! Do you wanna see what we have out there?" Maya's eyes lit up with curious excitement and she nodded eagerly. "C'mon, it's feeding time anyway."

"Past feeding time. It is a wonder that they are not causing a ruckus by now." Dedue commented, and now Maya was really curious as to what was in that barn.

The three ventured outside, the evening sun bathing the land in an orange glow as they made their way to the barn. Dedue and Raphael shared a smile as they pushed open the sliding doors, and Maya's jaw dropped at the sight.

Dogs of various breeds were scattered throughout the large barn, and Maya did a quick count; there were at least 20 of them. When Dedue and Raphael stepped into the barn, all of the dogs turned towards them, and a chorus of barks and howls started up as they rushed to their owners.

Maya shrieked with unconstrained joy as she was suddenly surrounded by fluffy, excited dogs, and she crouched down so that she could pet as many of them as possible while getting a bunch of sloppy kisses.

"Why do you have so many dogs?" Maya said, laughing as she held up a fluffy yellow dog with an elongated body.

"Well, when we nursed Beefsteak and Dahlia back to health and resumed the restoration efforts, we realized that there were so many other homeless dogs that needed help," Raphael said, "After Duscur was fully rebuilt, we build this barn together and decided to take in as many dogs as possible. We make sure they're happy and healthy, and some of the people from the nearby town have adopted a few of them already."

"Aw...You guys are so wonderful!" Maya gushed, and the dogs around her suddenly bolted off towards Dedue when they noticed that he was starting to fill up their food bowls. Maya set down the dog that she held, and she lay down instead of running after the other dogs, which confused Maya. That is, until she saw six puppies run up to the dog and start nursing.

"Babies!" Maya exclaimed, unable to handle the overwhelming cuteness without shedding a few tears.

"Oh yeah! Her name is Sausage!" Raphael said, patting Maya on the back. "She's a Corgi! She was pregnant when we found her, and she gave birth just a few weeks ago."

"They're...perfect." Maya said, sniffing as more tears fell down her face.

"Why are you crying?" Raphael said, an alarmed look crossing his face as he looked Maya over. "Are you sick? Or hurt? Or-"

"Raph, please," Maya said, laughing as she wiped away her tears. "They're just...so cute and precious. I love them." One of the puppies finished her meal and bounded over to Maya, barking as she nibbled on her shoe.

"That one is named Paprika." Dedue said, smiling softly as he placed a hand on Maya's other shoulder. "She is the runt of the litter, and almost did not survive birth. I had to rub her back continuously for a long time before she finally started breathing on her own." Maya picked her up and started sobbing again when little Paprika starting licking her face with her tiny tongue. Raphael and Dedue shared a glance, and Dedue nodded.

"Would you like to adopt her, Maya?" Raphael said, and Maya stared at him with wide eyes. A huge, beaming smile slowly spread across her face, and she nodded vigorously as she hugged Paprika gently against her chest.

"Oh my gosh, can I really? I'd love to!" Maya said, kissing the top of Paprika's head as she started falling asleep in her arms. "I'll take good care of her."

"We know you will." Dedue said with a nod, "She cannot leave her mother permanently yet, so you will have to stay with us until she is ready. Is that alright?"

"Yeah! I've got all the time in the world. Oooh, I think I could get some really cool paintings done around here too, with the flowers and dogs and…" Maya said, trailing off to mumble to herself. Dedue and Raphael laughed, and as Maya finished helping them tend to the dogs, she couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of her brother and Dedue, and what wonderful things they were doing with their lives. She followed them back into their house, with little Paprika tucked away against her chest, and she was excited for the weeks to come.

* * *

"Wow, what a day!"

Dedue chuckled as Raphael plopped down on the bed next to him, quickly discarding his shirt before snuggling up against Dedue. Setting the book he had been reading aside, Dedue wrapped his arms around Raphael, pulling his head to rest against his chest as Dedue placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Indeed. Did Maya get settled in alright?" Dedue asked, and Raphael nodded, his soft facial hair tickling Dedue's chest.

"Yeah! She's got Paprika sleeping with her, and Beefsteak and Dahlia too! They really like her a lot!"

"Good. It will be nice to have the bed to ourselves for once." Dedue mused. Beefsteak and Dahlia usually slept in their bed with them, and Raphael had to build them an extra large and sturdy one in order to hold their massive dogs as well as themselves.

"Heh, yeah it will." Raphael said, grinning as he kissed Dedue, who sighed contently, wrapping his arms around Raphael and pulling him close. Calloused hands roamed over Raphael's back, tracing over faded scars and taut muscle that had become as familiar as Dedue's own. It felt like a dream, being wrapped in the arms of the man who loved him, living a peaceful life away from war in a recovered Duscur that he and Raphael had rebuilt with their bare hands. Dedue smiled against Raphael's lips, and the latter pulled away slightly, his beautiful golden eyes gazing deep into Dedue's seafoam green.

"What're you thinking about, dear?" Raphael asked, nuzzling his nose against Dedue's, laughing as the silver hairs of his beard tickled his nose.

"You," Dedue said, taking Raphael's left hand in his so that he could run his fingers over his wedding ring. "Or rather, you and I. I feel like I was blessed by all of the deities in both Fódlan and Duscur with the most wonderful man that I get to call my husband." Dedue chuckled when Raphael's face flushed pink.

"Aw, Dedue, you're makin' me blush here..." Raphael said, burying his face in the crook of Dedue's neck to hide his embarrassment.

"It is true though." Dedue cupped Raphael's face with one hand while his other continued to trace the scars over his back, causing Raphael to shiver, "I think if someone had told me back in our academy days that I would end up married to the love of my life and living in a rebuilt Duscur, I would not have believed them."

"C'mon honey," Raphael said, his brow furrowing as he pouted, "Don't talk like that! You're the greatest guy that I've ever met! I had the biggest crush on you when were we still in school!"

"Really?" Dedue blinked as he tilted his head. He never would have guessed that Raphael had harbored feelings for him that soon. Dedue had always assumed that Raphael did not grow to love him until they had reunited after the start of the war.

"Yes really! I was super sad when the war tore us apart, 'cause I never got to tell you how I felt until five years after that. I was also really scared that I'd...never see you again." Raphael's face fell, and Dedue smiled softly, cupping Raphael's face as he placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I am sorry for worrying you, my darling sunshine," Dedue whispered, his fingers setting in Raphael's soft beard, and a beaming smile slowly returned to Raphael's face. That beautiful, ethereal smile that never failed to take Dedue's breath away. He was determined to spend the rest of his days making sure that smile was never absent from his husband's face for longer than a few moments at a time.

"It's fine! It all worked out in the end! We're married and living a good life. I'm just...really happy Dedue!"

"I am happy too, Raphael." Dedue chuckled when Raphael grabbed his face and kissed his tenderly, but he pulled away shortly after, lips pursed together as if he had eaten something sour.

"Hey, hun?" Raphael asked, "Do you, uh, think my beard is scruffy? Maya said it was." Dedue blinked at him, before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Honestly, it could use a bit of trimming." The horrified look that crossed Raphael's face was so silly that Dedue laughed harder.

"Dedue! Why didn't you say anything before? Ugh, how embarrassing…" Raphael's voice dropped to a mumble, and he pouted again as he rolled over onto his back.

"I thought that you kept it that way on purpose. I can help you trim it if you want." Dedue said, and Raphael rolled back over on top of him, causing Dedue to grunt and his face to flush.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Raphael said excitedly, causing Dedue to chuckle at his unbridled enthusiasm.

"Of course, darling."

"Yes! Gods, I love you so much, Dedue!" Raphael said, laughing as he slid his arms under Dedue, pulling him into one of Raphael's signature bear hugs that Dedue honestly could not get enough of.

"I love you too, Raphael. Always." Dedue whispered into Raphael's ear as he returned his hug. Dedue pulled away, caressing Raphael's cheek with the back of his hand as his husband smiled sweetly at him, before closing the distance between them again by pressing his lips to Dedue's. They quickly lost themselves in the passion of their love, and Dedue knew that with Raphael by his side, his future would always look as bright as his husband's smile.


End file.
